Yoon Jae-soon, Secretary General, at the National Assembly Budget Subcommittee on the 17th: "We plan to operate personnel flexibly due to increased workload"
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The Presidential Office has expressed that it is realistically difficult to uphold President Yoon Suk-yeol's campaign pledge to reduce the Presidential Office staff by 30%, known as the 'Slimming Down of the Presidential Office.'
According to the National Assembly transcript on the 28th, Yoon Jae-soon, Secretary General of the Presidential Office, stated at the National Assembly's Steering Committee Budget Subcommittee on the 17th, "The public demand is so overwhelming that it is really difficult to maintain the 30% standard. It is truly challenging."
In response to opposition lawmakers' criticism that the pledge to slim down the Presidential Office has been broken, Secretary Yoon, who oversees the organization and budget of the Presidential Office, essentially raised the practical difficulties in keeping the pledge.
Secretary Yoon repeatedly asked for understanding, saying, "The General Secretary's Office almost always responds with 'No' when other secretariats request additional personnel."
He explained, "When each secretariat or senior office requests reinforcements, we reanalyze the workload and assess the work capabilities of the employees in each secretariat," adding, "'Then rather replace the staff. Bring in someone who works better. Make a substitution.' We make such demands and do our best to say 'No' to additional staffing."
He also hinted that the size of the Presidential Office staff might increase from the current level in the future. Secretary Yoon said, "As the workload keeps increasing, we plan to operate the staffing flexibly."
The current total number of Presidential Office staff is 409. Out of the secretariat's authorized 443 positions, 380 are filled, and out of the National Security Office's authorized 47 positions, only 29 are filled, operating at a 17% reduction compared to the authorized number.
Compared to late August, when the Presidential Office reorganization was implemented with 425 staff members (396 in the secretariat and 29 in the National Security Office), the number has decreased by 16. At that time, the workforce restructuring involved about 50 people.
With the reduction in personnel, it has become difficult to take vacations. A Presidential Office official said in a phone interview, "To keep the pledge, we would have to cut nearly 70 more people here," adding, "The manpower shortage is so severe that we cannot even take vacations, making it practically impossible."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
